The first 3D Legend of Zelda game, Ocarina of Time was created for the Nintendo 64 in 1998 and introduced innovative mechanics such as Z-targeting as well as many of the series' other trademarks. It has frequently been ranked as the greatest game of all time by many publications.

Summary

Short summary describing this game.

Overview

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released in Japan on November 21, 1998, and in North America two days later. It was the first Zelda game to be produced in 3D, and creator Shigeru Miyamoto was almost universally praised for smoothly transitioning Zelda into the 3D space and preserving the feel of the franchise. Ocarina of Time is the fifth game in the series and was developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64.

The Legend of Zelda series' first appearance on the Nintendo 64 brought many of the franchise's mainstays along with it. There are dungeons with forest, fire, and water themes, for instance, and trademark weapons and items like the bomb and boomerang are also available. Because it was the first 3D game in the series, many innovations made their first appearance in the game play. This is the first game to feature a lock-on targeting system whereby Link can circle around and direct his attacks at the targeted enemy. The so-called "Z-targeting" system was subsequently adopted by numerous third-person action games.

Story

The Great Deku Tree.

In the vast, deep forest of Hyrule, the Great Deku Tree served as the guardian spirit. The children of the forest, the Kokiri, lived with the Great Deku Tree. Each Kokiri had his or her own guardian fairy, except one. His name was Link.

This is where the game begins, with the player as Link, a simple young boy living with the Kokiri tribe who are elf-like children that never grow up and can never leave the Kokiri Forest. After having an inexplicable dream, the game's hero, Link, is awakened by a guardian fairy named Navi. She explains that the Great Deku Tree has summoned him and there is no time to waste. After searching the town for the Kokiri Sword, and finding enough rupees to buy the Deku Shield, Link is allowed to enter the presence of the Great Deku Tree. Link finds out that he has been summoned to attempt to save the Deku Tree from death after being cursed by an evil man. After defeating the curse, but failing to save the Great Deku Tree, Link is told the origin of the world of Hyrule…..

"A long time ago . . .

Before life began, before the world had formed, three golden goddesses descended upon the chaotic land of Hyrule.

They were Din, the goddess of power, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom and Farore, the goddess of courage.

Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land to create the earth.

Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth to give the spirit of law to the world.

Farore's rich soul created all life forms who would uphold the law.

These great goddesses returned to the heavens, leaving behind the golden sacred Triforce.Since then, the Triforce has become the basis for Hyrule's providence.

Where the Triforce Stood became sacred land."

The Triforce - A sacred object left by the gods in Hyrule.

The Deku Tree then reveals that the “wicked man from the desert” that cursed him was searching for one of three sacred stones, the keys to opening the door of time located in Temple of Time and gaining access to the Triforce. After giving Link the spiritual stone of the forest, the Kokiri's Emerald, the Deku Tree tells Link that he is different from all the other Kokiri and has a destiny that lies beyond the forest. Before he dies he sends Link to search out the other two spiritual stones, and specifically to the Hyrule Castle. As the story unfolds it is learned that Link needs to stop the “wicked man from the desert”, named Ganondorf, from gaining access to all three pieces of the Triforce and gaining the full power of the Goddesses.

Just as Link leaves Kokiri Forest, his old friend Saria gives him the Fairy Ocarina. A musical device capable of playing numerous melodies. As he steps onto Hyrule Field, he meets a wise owl, Kaepora Gaebora, who gives advice to Link on his quest. Link makes his way across the Hyrule Field and eventually arrives at Hyrule Castle. He storms through the market and reaches the castle gate. It is here that he meets Malon, a dairy maid and daughter of the owner of Lon Lon Ranch, who she gives him an egg after stating that her dad is missing after doing a milk delivery. Being refused entry to the castle, Link climbs up some vines around the side of the gate and sneaks past all the guards to get into the castle. The only way in being a small trapdoor on the side of the building. However, this is blocked by a sleeping Talon, the missing owner of Lon Lon Ranch. Not being awoken by normal methods, Link waits a night and a day and the egg hatches into a Cuckoo. The Cuckoo wakes up Talon, who runs back home after he realizes that Malon is upset. Link now sneaks into the castle via the small trapdoor.

As he goes into the Castle, there are more guards patrolling the grounds. Link successfully sneaks past them and is greeted by Princess Zelda. She tells the story of how Hyrule was created and how Ganondorf, the Gerudo King, is trying to harness the power of the Triforce for himself. After agreeing to help the Princess, Link meets Impa, nurse of Zelda, who teaches him Zelda's lullaby and escorts him out of the castle, but not before giving him a note to allow him to climb Death Mountain.

Once back in Hyrule Field, Link goes back to Kokiri Forest to get Saria's Song, as it is one of the Goron's favorite songs. However, Saria is nowhere to be seen, so Link searches for her and ends up in the Lost Woods, an eerie forest which seems to be an endless maze. After Link makes his way through the Lost Woods, with the help of Kaepora Gaebora, he eventually finds Saria sitting on a tree stump. It is here Link learns Saria's Song, this allows him to ask for Saria's advice whenever he needs it wherever he may be. Link makes his way to Death Mountain, and his second Spiritual Stone.

Making his way back through Hyrule Field, Link heads for Kakariko Village, at the base of Death Mountain. Once here, he shows the guard guarding the entrance to Death Mountain, the letter that Impa gave him and Link is granted permission to make his way up the dangerous mountain. Avoiding various Tektites and other dangers, Link finally arrives at Goron City. Encountering a locked door, Link plays Zelda's Lullaby and meets Darunia, who refuses to talk to him as he is a bad mood. To brighten the atmosphere, Saria's Song is played and Darunia breaks into dance. Finally being in a good mood again, Darunia gives link the Power Bracelet, which allows him to pick up Bomb Flowers. Using this new found strength, Link picks up a Bomb Flower and blows up the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern.

Link makes his way through Dodongo's Cavern, fighting various enemies such as Keese, Lizalfos and Dodongos. He obtains the dungeon's treasure which are bombs. This allows him to carry bombs with him instead of depending on Bomb Flowers and the Goron Bracelet. Link makes his way through the dungeon and eventually reaches King Dodongo. After defeating King Dodongo and ridding Dodongo's Cavern of any threats, Darunia congratulates Link making him a 'brother' and gives him the second spiritual stone, the Goron's Ruby.

With two out of the three spiritual stones obtained, only the Zora's Sapphire remains. Link makes his way to the Zora domain, gaining entrance by playing Zelda's Lullaby. He speaks to the king of the Zoras who tells him that his daughter, Princess Ruto is missing and asks Link to go find her. Link can then take part in a diving game which if he completes, it will give him the silver scale. Using his new found ability to breathe underwater for longer, Link uses the secret entrance to Lake Hylia found in Zora's domain. It is here that he finds a message in a bottle. The message states that Princess Ruto has gone to see Jabu Jabu. Link shows the king this message and the king allows him to pass. Jabu Jabu has been acting strangely recently and when Link feeds him a fish, Jabu Jabu engulfs Link.

When inside Jabu Jabu, Link finds Princess Ruto, who is rather rude. Link has to escort her around the body while avoiding the enemies that plague the area. As Link reaches the end of the dungeon, he fights the dungeon boss using his new found boomerang. Once defeated, Princess Ruto is saved and she gives him the Zora's Sapphire as an engagement present stating that she will get married to Link in the future.

Now that Link has all three spiritual stones he makes his way back towards Hyrule Castle. As he reaches the gates of the market place, he sees Zelda and Impa ride out on horseback, Zelda notices Link and throws the Ocarina of Time back into the moat surrounding the castle. Just after they disappear, Ganondorf comes storming through the gates and asks Link where the princess went. He refuses to answer and then is hit by Ganondorf's thunderball.

When Link awakens, he jumps into the moat and finds the Ocarina of Time and proceeds to the Temple of Time. He opens the Door of Time by placing all three spiritual stones on the alter, this reveals the Master Sword resting in the Pedestal of Time. After Link unsheathes the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time he unknowingly and unwillingly gives Ganondorf access to the Sacred Realm.

Map of Hyrule, from The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time takes place in two different time settings with players controlling both young Link and adult Link. The game starts when Link is a young boy trying to stop Ganondorf from gaining the Triforce. Upon gaining access to the Temple of Time and the Master Sword, Link travels seven years into the future. Link learns that the time travel happens because, although Link is the chosen one to remove the Master Sword from its stone sealed sheath, he must be of a certain age to wield it. Therefore Link is trapped in a sort of “hibernation” until he is old enough to fulfill his destiny. When Link awakens he finds that in his absence, Ganondorf has used the Triforce of Power to take control of Hyrule and turn it into a post-apocalyptic world. Link must now embark on a quest to save the once beautiful land of Hyrule.

Control Scheme

In a situation similar to the development of Super Mario 64 (released in 1996), Nintendo faced the difficult task of translating one of gaming's most beloved franchises into 3D, which meant a complete overhaul of the series' classic design mechanics.

Only the Great King of Evil can stand up to the power of Z-Targeting with his aura of evil.

Unlike the previous, top-down 2D Zelda games, Ocarina of Time utilized a completely 3D view. The player could control both Link's direction and the velocity of movement via the Analog Stick. The camera in Ocarina of Time floated around Link (as opposed to the greater camera controls in Super Mario 64), and could be instantly directed behind Link by pressing the Z button. Although the B button permanently controlled use of the sword, the games various other items (such as the Bow and the Hookshot) could be mapped onto the Left, Right, and Down C-Buttons, allowing Link to access more of his weaponry without pulling up a menu.

Nintendo brought two major control innovations to bear in Ocarina of Time. The first, and most obvious, new control feature was Lock-On Targeting (referred to as Z-Targeting in the game). Pressing the Z button when Link was near a person, enemy, sign or interactive part of the environment caused the camera to lock onto the target (in game, Link's fairy, Navi, would fly to the nearby target and Link would turn his eyes directly towards Navi's new location). From the locked on position, Link could strafe around his target, use rolls and flips to dodge enemy attacks, and easily interact/talk to NPCs in three dimensional space.

The idea of locking on to a target was revolutionary: game programmers and designers, who were trying to understand how characters would be able to physically interact in 3D, couldn’t understand how to make a game with the same type of tight control they could achieve in a 2D perspective. Characters could never line up properly with their targets and movement speed was too slow. Many games had control schemes that confused players. In Ocarina of Time however, players could instantly face and run directly to characters, would always be facing toward an enemy, and had more control over Link.

The second key innovation of Ocarina of Time was the creation of the context-sensitive buttons. Rather than map every single one of Link's abilities to a different button on the N64 controller, or only provide Link with a handful of abilities, Nintendo mapped many "secondary" control features to the A button. When in a certain situation or "context" (in front of a door, near a block, in combat, playing the Ocarina, riding Epona), the on-screen A button would display a word, indicating what the button could currently be used for (e.g. opening doors, pushing blocks, jump attacks in combat, putting the Ocarina away, speeding Epona up). This was a more subtle change to the series, but Context-Sensitive buttons became the industry standard way for developers to assign controller buttons, using permanent assignment only for important actions, while letting a player use "secondary functions" only in the proper context.

Gameplay

The A button is used to scrolls through text, roll, read signs, and dodge enemy attacks.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for players who purchased the game was that, despite the new perspective, brand new controls, and 3D graphics, Ocarina of Time was still a full-blooded Zelda game. Sticking to its roots, the game led players through nine different dungeons, having them complete tricky puzzles and defeat big bosses along the way.

Ocarina of Time, like the Zelda games that came before it, is primarily an exploration and puzzle solving game, with sword combat, horseback riding, and boss fights playing providing a change of pace. The player progresses through the game by guiding Link to one of the nine dungeons and collecting a mystical artifact at the end (three jewels in the first half of the game, six medallions in the second half). Each of these dungeons is filled with puzzles that hinder Link's progress, and the player must solve them to continue their quest. In every dungeon (after the first one) players will encounter a "Sub-Boss", a powerful enemy that the player will be forced to do battle with. Defeating the Sub-Boss will lead the player to an item that will be necessary to solve puzzles farther in the dungeon. At the very end, players will encounter the Boss of the dungeon, who can only be defeated with tactical use of the new weapon retrieved in the dungeon (and some well placed sword slashes).

Players will still guide Link through dungeons, collect keys, and fight Ganon -- only this time in 3D

Puzzles in the dungeons often share very basic similarities (there's quite a bit of time spent pushing blocks, standing on switches, and pushes blocks onto switches). However, each dungeon has a "theme" that changes the way the player moves through the dungeon. The Water Temple, for example, can only be beaten if the player raises and lowers the water levels, which they can only do at specific parts of the dungeon. The Shadow Dungeon, on the other hand, is filled with invisible walls and traps, not to mention mirages. The player can only see through these disguises with the Lens of Truth.

Main Characters

Ocarina of Time boasted a cast of dozens of characters, including both series stalwarts (like Link, Princess Zelda and Ganon) while also introducing new denizens of the land of Hyrule that would go on to be featured in later installments of the series.

The main character of Ocarina of Time, and the protagonist of nearly all the Legend of Zelda games (with rare exception). Like previous Zelda games, the player may choose any name they want for the main character(including their own), but the default character name is Link. The name Link, according to Shigeru Miyamoto, comes from a literal interpretation of what the main character is in a video game: a link between the player and the game.

The Link featured in Ocarina of Time is not a continuation of his adventures from the NES, Game Boy, and Super Nintendo games, but a whole new Link in a whole new story unrelated to those previous games. Ocarina of Time helped to cement the fact that the Legend of Zelda games were not a series of stories connected together in a linear timeline, but rather a retelling of the same story: different plot details, character interactions, and action sequences may occur, but the core theme(boy saves princess/world) remains the same throughout many of the main story.

The player will eventually control two different "versions" of Link: first as a boy, and then later as a young adult, after he travels forward in time 7 years. This older incarnation of Link is widely regarded as the most popular representation of the series' protagonist, and fan clamor for a game starring the older, more "mature" Link was so strong that Nintendo obliged with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess in 2006 for both the GameCube and Wii, which were designed around the mature Link aesthetic.

Link begins Ocarina of Time as a small boy, a native of the Kokiri tribe designated as protectors of the forests of Hyrule. Link is still a child in the eyes of his peers; he's the one member of the tribe that has not been granted a fairy, a companion sprite to help him out in the world (hence his early-game nickname, "The Boy without a Fairy). At the outset of the game, Link is trouble by strange dreams, visions of a man dressed in black from the west whose presence seems to be a threat (effectively predicting the invasion of Hyrule by Ganondorf and the Gerudo Tribe).

Adult Link

As Link is awakened from his slumber, he meets Navi, the fairy and companion throughout the game. Link has been tasked by the Guardian of the Great Deku Tree, to remove a dark curse planted inside it by the Court Adviser and dark Wizard Ganondorf (the Gerudo man seen in Link's dreams). Despite Link's triumph over the monster deep inside the Tree's Roots, Link was too late to save the Great Deku Tree, as the curse had already taken its toll. With it's last wish, the Great Deku Tree gave Link a quest: he must leave the forest and travel across the world to Hyrule, and present a mysterious green stone, the Kokiri Emerald, to Princess Zelda, implying that she would know how to stop Ganondorf from taking over Hyrule.

Link's journey will take him to the Princess Zelda, and together the two would hatch a plan to defeat Ganondorf by acquiring the Triforce, the mystical relics that helped to preserve the land and make it flourish after the goddesses created Hyrule. The Triforce was also the object of Ganondorf's desires, as the mystical triangles were able to grant any wish the holder of the relic desired. Link and Zelda decided to get to the Triforce before Ganondorf by getting to the Triforce first. To access the Sacred Realm (where the Triforce has been stored by the gods), Link must locate two more sacred stones, the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire. Together with the Kokiri Emerald, Link and Zelda are able to open the Door of Time. When Link draws the fabled Master Sword from its pedestal from behind the door of time, he opened the Sacred Realm and access the Triforce. However, Ganon managed to get the Triforce before Link and Zelda, and with his first wish, the dark wizard declared himself the new ruler of Hyrule.

When Link returns to consciousness, he finds himself inside the fabled Chamber of Sages. Inside, he is given his next task by Rauru, the Sage of Light. In order to combat Ganon and deliver Hyrule from evil, Link must awaken the other 5 sages, denizens of Hyrule that must take on the mantle of protectors of the Triforce and Hyrule. Only Link, the legendary Hero of Time (with the power to travel between the past and future) can defeat Ganondorf's evil forces. With the power of the awakened Sages, Link would be able to seal Ganondorf away inside the Sacred Realm for all time.

Upon obtaining all 6 of the Sage Medallions (designators that the sage has been awakened), Link learns that Ganondorf only managed to grab one piece of the three pronged Triforce. Ganondorf possessed the Triforce of Power, while Link himself possessed the Triforce of Courage. The Triforce of Courage would help give Link the strength to rescue the Princess Zelda and defeat Ganondorf once and for all.

The titular character of the Legend of Zelda series, Princess Zelda is a member of Hyrule's royal family. The young princess is the only member of her family that suspects Ganondorf's treachery, fearing that his true interests are to take control of the Triforce (which the Royal Family is sworn to protect).

Link first meets Princess Zelda at the behest of the Great Deku Tree. His task was to take the Kokiri Emerald to the Princess. After sneaking his way into the castle and avoiding guards in the Castle Royal Gardens, Link finally makes his way into Zelda's room and private garden. At first, Zelda was surprised that the young boy had managed to sneak past the guards, but when she discovers that Link had arrived in the Castle from the forest, and had a fairy companion, Zelda remembered the dream she had of the boy emerging from the forest with a fairy, and was convinced that Link was the one destined to help her keep the Triforce away from Ganondorf. Zelda tells Link of her fears about the dark wizard, and together, the two children hatch a plan to protect the Triforce from Ganondorf's evil.

To open the Door of Time and Access the Sacred Realm, the pair would need to play the Song of Time on Zelda's greatest treasure, the Ocarina of Time, passed down throughout the Royal Family.

However, before Link and Zelda use the Sacred Stones to open the Door of Time, Ganondorf begins his coup in Hyrule Castle and chases the Princess and her guardian Impa from the Castle. As they cross the gate to Hyrule Castle Town, Zelda throws the Ocarina of Time into the moat for Link to recover, imbued with a secret message from the princess that teaches Link how to play the Song of Time. The young Princess Zelda won't be seen again until the player has completed the game.

When Link awakens in the Temple of Time seven years in the future, he is greeted by the mysterious Sheik, the last surviving member of the Sheikah, a tribe dedicated to the protection of the royal family. Sheik describes to Link the new world, one controlled and maintained by Ganondorf from the safety of Hyrule Castle. Sheik points Link towards the first Sage, the Sage of the Forest, and gives Link hints about the tools he will need to help save and awaken the various Sages. Sheik will eventually teach Link special "warp" songs that will instantly whisk the Hero of Time to the entrance of the five dungeons, or send him back to the Master Sword's pedestal at the Temple of Time, making the navigation of Hyrule much easier.

After Link awakens all six Sages, he returns to meet Sheik at the Temple of Time. Sheik tells Link that, although Ganondorf was the ruler of Hyrule, his victory of the land was not complete. Ganondorf only possessed one piece of the Triforce, the Triforce of Power. Link himself possessed the Triforce of Courage. The Triforce of Wisdom, on the other hand, was bound on the hand of a mysterious "seventh sage", the leader of the other six. To Link's (and the player's) shock, Sheik removes his mask and vestments, and reveals himself to be none other than the Princess Zelda! Her disguise was a ruse to keep the Princess out of Ganondorf's clutches to protect the Triforce of Courage. As the legendary Seventh Sage, Zelda uses her power to grant Link a weapon, the mystical Arrows of Time, that could penetrate any darkness and fill it with light. However, upon revealing her true self, Ganondorf captures the Princess and brings her to Hyrule Castle. Only Link can rescue her from his clutches, so he sets off to Ganon's castle, and ascends to the top and faces the Evil King. Zelda is released upon Link's victory, but the tower starts to collapse, and the two have to escape before they're buried along with it. She helps open the gates that will lead the two to the exit and escape just as the building is destroyed. After a final battle between Link and Ganon, Zelda uses her powers to hold Ganon in place so Link can deliver the final blow to the beast. She then uses her powers in conjunction with the six sages to seal Ganon within the Sacred Realm. With Hyrule saved, Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to his childhood, where he is supposed to be.

Navi is one of the mysterious fairy's of the Deku Forest. We are introduced to Navi at the very start of the game when she wakes Link from his nightmare, telling Link the Deku Tree has sent her to aid Link on his journey.

Navi is the secondary character that the player controls throughout the game with the new and innovative Z-Targeting mechanic. When the player presses and holds the Z-button, Navi will float over the nearest target in order to keep the players attacks directed to that object or enemy. As well as being a part of a mechanic, Navi is also one of the first characters to have voice acting. She will occasionally yell out "Watch Out" if there is something Link needs to....well, watch out for. She also says "Hey" when she has something important to tell Link, followed by a "Listen" when the player presses the Up C-button. After doing so Navi will give a hint as to what the player should be doing next in terms of the story line, just in case they are lost.

Ganondorf (aka Dark Lord, Great King of Evil, and Man from the West) is the main villain in Ocorina of Time as well as most of the other Zelda games. Ganondorf is from the Gerudo Tribe which is made up primarily of women except for their King and is located in the desert to the west of Hyrule. Ganondorf came to power by simply being the chosen male child to be born every hundred years. He then uses his status as King of the Gerudo to make peace with the King of Hyrule and become an adviser to the king. As a young child Princess Zelda senses something dishonest and evil about Ganondorf as he is making a truce with her father. It is through this suspicion that Princess Zelda recruits Link to help her keep Ganondorf from achieving his goal, whatever it may be. Little do they know that Ganondorf will actually use Link as a pawn to get to the Triforce.

The Six Sages

Forest

Saria

Saria Main page: SariaThe sage Link saves from the Forest Temple, Saria is also a childhood friend of Link's. Unlike the other Kokiri that teased Link for lack of having a fairy, Saria spent time and often played together. When Link is told by the Great Deku Tree to leave the forest and go to Hyrule Castle, Saria gives him a Fairy Ocarina as a memento. Some moments later in the game, Link returns to the forest and finds Saria in the Sacred Forest Meadow, which is also the entrance to the Forest Temple as an adult. Here Saria teaches Link a new song for his Ocarina, that can let him communicate with Saria if he needs any advice. After becoming an adult and gaining the Hookshot, Link returns to the Sacred Forest Meadow, Saria's favorite spot, to see she isn't there. After fighting through the temple and defeating Phantom Ganon, Saria is saved and is awakened as the Sage of Forest, and gives Link the Forest Medallion.

Fire

Darunia

Darunia Main page: DaruniaDarunia is the second sage to be awakened, and is another character Link meets in his youth. In a grouchy mood initially, Link makes him happy and dancing when he plays Saria's Song. Darunia tells Link of the Goron's predicament, their main food supply in Dodongo's Cavern being cut off by a massive boulder, and promises to give him the Spiritual Stone of Fire, Goron's Ruby, if he destroys the boulder and the monsters inhabiting Dodongo's Cavern. Link defeats the monsters and earns Darunia's respect by becoming his "Sworn Brother." They would soon meet again when the ancient dragon Volvagia was released in Death Mountain, and the two worked to free the Gorons and defeat the beast. Upon doing so, Darunia was awakened as the Sage of Fire, and grants Link the Fire Medallion.

Water

Ruto

Ruto Main page: Princess RutoPrincess of the Zoras, Sage of the Water Temple, and another childhood friend of Link. The King Zora asked of Link to find his daughter inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly. The reason she was inside? To find her precious gem Zora's Sapphire, the Spiritual Stone of Water. She is initially reluctant and rude towards Link, as she does not want his help. However, after saving her and defeating the monster inside Jabu-Jabu, she becomes impressed by Link's skills, and gives him the stone on the promise that he will marry her. Seven years later, Zora's Domain is frozen, and Ruto travels to the Water Temple to find out the problem. Link catches up, and Ruto had not forgotten the promise they made, though they both realize that there are other matters at hand. After navigating the temple and defeating Morpha, Ruto is awakened as the Sage of Water, presents the Water Medallion to Link.

Shadow

Impa

Impa Main page: ImpaImpa was Zelda's handmaid, and took care of her in her youth. After Link and Zelda meet at the castle, Impa teaches him Zelda's Lullaby, which serves him many purposes, mainly to show connection with the Royal family. She is last seen in Link's youth, riding off from Hyrule Castle Town as Ganondorf is in pursuit of Zelda and the Ocarina of Time. Seven years later, Kakariko village comes under attack by the evil spirit Bongo Bongo, and Impa heads into the Shadow Temple to stop the creature. Link follows as well and defeats the creature, overcoming the illusions of the temple. Upon awakening Impa as the Sage of Shadow, Impa reassures Link that Zelda is safe, and gives him the Shadow Medallion.

Spirit

Nabooru

Nabooru Main page: NabooruGanondorf's Second in Command, well originally, Nabooru finds Link as a child in the Spirit Temple, and the two decide to work towards finding out the Gerudo King's schemes, though not before Koume and Kotake capture Nabooru, Link is left to finish the job and explore the rest of the temple as an adult. The two witches had taken Nabooru and brainwashed her as an Iron Knuckle, and is forced to fight Link. Link breaks the spell over Nabooru, and Koume and Kotake, rather irritated, casts a spell on Nabooru transporting her to parts unknown. Link must then defeat the two witches in their separate and combined form Twinrova, and with their hold on the temple gone, Nabooru is freed and awakened as the Sage of Spirit, and gives Link the Spirit Medallion.

Light

Rauru

Rauru Main page: RauruThe Light Sage who resides in the chamber of sages, Rauru wakes up Link from his seven year slumber after removing the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. He takes the time to explain to Link what has happened to Hyrule in his absence, how Ganondorf was able to get his hand on the Triforce and become the King of Evil. After providing this exposition on events, he sends him back to the Temple of Time, after handing him the Light Medallion.

The Seventh Sage

A childhood friend of Link's are revealed to be the seventh sage. During his quest as an adult, Zelda disguised herself as Sheik and taught him new songs for his Ocarina as well as updating him on the events around Link. After returning to the Temple of Time after awakening the sages, Sheik arrives, provides more exposition on the Triforce, and reveals herself not only to have the Triforce of Wisdom, but also to be Zelda. She uses her powers to grant Link the Light Arrows, the only weapon to destroy Ganondorf, and along with the other sages seals the Evil King in the Sacred Realm.

Songs

Link can play a variety of songs on his ocarina. Some can be used to warp to specific locations, others have an effect on NPCs. Here's a run down of the most notable ones:

Whenever Link needs to show his connection to the royal family, he plays this song. Initially to open Darunia's chamber, but subsequently whenever he sees a Triforce sign.

Summons Epona; instrumental in the quest to obtain her as an adult, but rather useless as Young Link. It also entices the cows to give Link milk if he has a free bottle.

Lets Link talk to Saria whenever he likes. She'll give advice on what to do next, much like Navi. Perhaps more importantly, it can be played to Darunia to cheer him up.

Turns Night to Day and Day into Night. Playing the song in a area where time doesn't pass in real time will return Link to the most recent exit.

Opens the Door of Time and also moves "Time Blocks" in general.

It makes rain start and thunder sound in the background. Can be used to make beans sprout into a transportation vine, often leading to hidden and otherwise unreachable areas.

Key Equipment

Kokiri Knife - The primary sword used by Young Link, as when he claims the Master Sword he transitions into Adult Link. The weakest of all of the swords with the smallest range.

Master Sword - The main sword of the game. The second strongest sword. Can be used by Adult Link only. When placed back in the Temple of Time, the player resumes as Young Link.

Giant's Knife - Two-handed, breaks easily.

Biggoron's Sword - Two-handed, does not break. Requires completing a long task with many steps before it can be acquired.

Deku Shield - The first shield in the game. This is an item that cannot be used by adult Link. This is the primary shield for Young Link as it is the only shield that he can use to actually protect himself. The flaw with this shield is that it burns up if it comes into contact with any fire.

Hylian Shield - The Hylian Shield is the main shield throughout the game. It can be used for all the same things as the Deku Shield with the added benefit of being able to block fire attacks. Young Link can actually equip this shield, however it is too heavy for him to lift. When holding the trigger to block as Young Link with the Hylian Shield equipped Link simply crouches, protecting his back from damage. The only difference between this shield and the mirror shield is that it cannot reflect light.

Mirror Shield - The Mirror Shield is the third shield in the game. It is found in the Spirit Temple. The mirror shield has a shiny surface and is used to be a surface to bounce light off of. This is important for completing the Spirit Temple and beating the Spirit Temple boss, Twinrova.

Kokiri Tunic - Standard green tunic. Link begins the game wearing it.

Goron Tunic - Protects against heat. Red in color.

Zora Tunic - Lets Link breathe under water. Blue in color.

Iron Boots - The Iron Boots are found in the Ice Cavern mini-dungeon right before entering the Water Temple. These boots are equipment modifiers like the Hover Boots and the Tunics in the game. When equipped the boots slow down Link and make him take very heavy steps. This is used to have link sink to the bottom of water so he can walk on the surface. This is necessary for completing the Water Temple.

Hover Boots - The Hover Boots are procured in the Shadow Temple and act as one of the equipment modifiers in the game as opposed to a C-Button item. When these are equipped Links steps become slippery as if he were running on ice. The benefit is that Link can run between two platforms and float a small distance between them which is good for gaining some distance.

Ocarina of Time - The Ocarina of Time is the second Ocarina that Link gets in the game. The first one is the Fairy Ocarina. The Ocarina of Time can be played to warp the the entrance areas of every Temple in the game.

Deku Stick - These fragile sticks are a consumable weapon much like bombs. They are dropped from Deku Babas. The sticks have a long range and one of the highest damage modifiers in the game. They can also be lit and used to light sconces and torches, which is used to solve puzzles.

Fairy Slingshot - The Fairy Slingshot is the first dungeon item found in the game. It is found inside the tree dungeon as Young Link. This acts as Young Link's primary ranged weapon as the Fairy Bow acts the same way for adult Link.

Fairy Bow - The Fairy Bow is the first dungeon item found as adult Link. The Fairy Bow is found in the Forest Temple. The Fairy Bow is needed to beat Phantom Ganon and is very helpful in handling final Ganon at the end of the game. It is often used for puzzles throughout the game. There are three elemental modifiers which can be added to the arrows. The Fire Arrows are good for lighting torches on fire. The Ice Arrow is good for freezing enemies. And the Light Arrow is strong against evil.

Hookshot / Longshot - The Hookshot is needed to enter the Forest Temple as Link. This makes it one of the first necessary items to procure as adult Link. The Hookshot can be received after racing Dampe in the Kakariko graveyard. The Longshot is an upgrade for the Hookshot and acts as the dungeon weapon for the Water Temple. The Longshot is needed to reach the final boss room of the Water Temple. The Longshot is also needed for beating the Water Temple boss, Morpha

Megaton Hammer - The Megaton Hammer is found in the Fire Temple as Link. Using the C-Button that the hammer is attached to can cause the hammer to be swung horizontally to knock barriers out of the way, or hammered vertically downward to crush things. The Megaton Hammer is crucial for beating the boss of the Fire Temple, Volvagia. The Megaton Hammer is also the best way to defeat the Shadow Link mini-boss in the Water Temple. Since Shadow Link copies all sword attacks that regular Link uses switching to the Megaton Hammer confuses Shadow Link.

Lens of Truth - The Lens of Truth is one of the dungeon items in Ocarina of Time. The Lens of Truth is found in the first half of the Shadow Temple when Young Link goes into the Bottom of the Well mini-dungeon. Much like the Ice Cavern mini-dungeon before the Water Temple the player receives a key item needed for Link to complete the following dungeon. The Lens of Truth is used to spot fake walls and other hidden things which Link can walk through or on. The Lens of Truth is crucial for Adult Link to navigate the Shadow Temple. It is also used to fight the Shadow Temple's boss, Bongo Bongo.

Bottles - There are four bottles to be obtained throughout Ocarina of Time. Bottles can be used to store potions, milk, fairies, or Poe ghosts. To use items like the Poe ghosts or fairies there is no need to equip the bottle. Fairies will automatically resurrect Link with full health when he dies, and the Poe ghosts can be cashed in by simply talking to the vendor.

Reception

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time received universal critical acclaim and had a huge commercial success. It was the best selling game of 1998, with up to 2.5 million sales, even though it was released only 39 days before the end of the year. The game was praised for the intuitive controls, depth, and wonderful story. The games received Perfect 10 scores from numerous websites and magazines and won many Game Of The Year Awards. Ocarina of Time has often been called the greatest game of all time and to this day remains a classic.

Nintendo 3DS Remake

Overview

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a remake of the N64classic for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was first displayed in a tech demo format at E3 2010. It was released on June 19, 2011 in North America.

Previewed behind closed doors at Nintendo's E3 developer roundtable, Shigeru Miyamoto claimed that one of the reasons Nintendo made the 3DS was so that players could get the "Hyrule Feel". He wanted players to experience what it would feel like to actually be running around in Hyrule.

Eiji Aonuma said that portions of the game (such as theWater Temple) would be easier because of the ability to quickly change equipment with the touchscreen. A new addition to Ocarina of Time 3D is that the Water Temple features fluorescent patterns on the walls which enable the player to find the switches to alter the water levels more easily.

Extra Content

In addition to the enhanced version of the original game, Ocarina of Time 3D also includes some extra content:

Water Temple

The Water Temple adds multiple colored lines which extend the length of the entire dungeon per floor. Each line can be found in every room in the temple. These lines each lead to one of the three doors which lead to the three points where you change the water levels. This greatly decreases the pure frustration of fans of the original release by making the temple much less maze like.

Master Quest

After completing the original version of Ocarina of Time 3D players will unlock Master Quest, which is a remixed version of the game originally released on the Nintendo GameCube. Though it is the same game at its core, the Master Quest version of Ocarina of Time 3D is fully mirrored and consist of rearranged dungeons and enemies that do twice the damage in order to be more challenging.

Boss Challenge

An all-new side mode which is accessible by talking to Link's bed in Kokiri Forest. Boss Challenge is simply a mode that lets the players fight the game's bosses in one-off battles or as a Boss Rush.

Visions

Ocarina of Time 3D includes videos that players can consult if they get stuck. These videos are called visions and can be found through Sheikah Stones, which look like bigger versions of the Gossip Stones. These videos give the player hints on how to beat certain puzzles. Visions are not accessible in the Master Quest playthrough of the game.

Download Version

Block Size: 4,096 blocks (512 MB)

Reception

As of September 30 2016, Ocarina of Time 3D has sold 4.52 million copies worldwide.